Ski binding



L. NASHE ET Al.

`sx1 BINDING Y Filed Feb. 27, 195s Sept. '20, 1938.

L E/F NAsHE 'Ono Ovens/mm afa/ML Patented sept. 2o, 193s UNITED sTATEs SKI BINDING Leif Nashe, Concord, and Odd Overgaard, West Concord, Mass.

Application February 21. 193s, serial No. 66,040 's claims. (el. ssc-11.35)

This invention relates to ski bindings which are attached to skis for the purpose of `receiving and holding the riders shoes thereto. Such bindings usually comprise a portion, herein called toe irons, for receiving and holding the toe ofthe shoe and a cooperating strap portion f'or engaging-the heel and holding the shoe in rm contact with said toe portion. The two ends of this strap are adapted to be detachably engaged in different adjustable positions with the toe portions, or a portion of the binding adjacent thereto. One object of our invention is the provision of an improved binding which employs a pair of novel plates adapted to be attached to the edges of the ski whereby conveniently and adjustably to receive the ends of the heel strap, and furthermore, a cooperating connection for permitting the ends of the strap to be engaged with the toe irons, the said plates and toe irons respectively giving bitches of different heights for purposes hereinafter described.

It is highly desirable that the ski binding should be as compact as possible and that the hitching portions should present no objectionable projecting parts and should adapt the binding freely to receive and hold the shoe. Our improved ski binding is particularly efficient in these respects.

The heel strap portion of the binding preferably includes a coiled spring for engaging the shoe heel and giving resiliency to its shoe holding function. Another valuable feature of our invention resides in novel elements engaged within the ends of the spring and providing connections to the buckles of the strap. these elements being formed from fiat strip metal as hereinafter described.

` These and other features of the invention will bebest understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof. selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing in which, Fig. 1 isa plan view of an embodiment of our improved ski binding attached to a ski. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the novel hitch element.

Figs. 4 and `5 are face and edge views of a metall strap used in constructing a connecting element of our improved binding,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the completed connecting element.

Fig. 'I is a perspective view of a similar connecting element constructed in like manner. 56 Referring more specifically to the drawing, In

indicates a ski to which our novel binding is applied. 'I'he toe iron comprises two side elements I2 each having an upwardly extending ange I4, these elements resting on the top face of the ski and a top plate I6 rests on the two ele- 5 ments and is held in place by screws I8 extending through slots in the elements and into the ski. The plate has its forward.V and rearward edges bent downwardly to overlap the adjacent edges of theelements and such edges have cooperating teeth 20 whereby the plate holds the elements against lateral movement. The elements can beA adjusted relatively for width by releasing the screws sufficiently to disengage the plate teeth from the teeth of the elements. 15 Cooperating with the toe irons are a pair of hitch plates 22 respectively secured in face to face contact to the side edges of the ski by screws 24. Each such plate has a convex outer front wallv relatively spaced from the inner and ski 20 contact face of the plate in a manner providing a chamber 26 therebetween within the plate, it being clear that the plate rests flatly against the ski preferably around its entire margin, and also flatly against the ski at its ends beneath the 25 screws 24 (Fig. 1) The front Wall of each plate has a plurality of hook-engaging holes 28 therethrough into the chamber in relatively spaced relation therealong. Similar hook-engaging holes or eyes 36 are provided in the rear portion 30 of each ange I4, and these eye portions are dished outwardly at 32 to provide hook-receiving chambers therein as hereinafter described. The forward portion of each flange i4 is provided with a slot 34 therethrough for receiving a toe strap 35 `36, these portions of the flange being bent outwardly at 38 whereby to provide clearance for `the strap.

Cooperating with the portion of the binding above described is a heel-engaging means in- 40 cluding a coiled spring 40 and side straps 42, the spring being adapted to contact with the heel of the shoe. One strap is connected to the spring through a buckle 44 andan element 46. We construct this element very simply from a metal strip 48 (Figs. 4 and 5) by first punching the strip at 56 and upsetting the end portions thereof outwardly at `52. 'I'he strip is then bent upon itself to provide an eye 54 and a shank 56 and the 50 shank is indented at 66 to provide teeth for engaging the convolutions of the spring. The shank is threaded into the end of the spring as shown in Fig. l, the indentations 58 engaging the spring convolutions and the lugs 52 providing a 55 snug fit within the spring end. 'lhe slot Il provides clearance for the tongue of the buckle u.

A like Eelement 6I with an angularly bent shank 62 is provided for the free end of the spring. A locking lever N pivoted to 'the eye II of this the buckle il through a wire yoke 1li, this yoke being of spring wires and the free ends normally pressing inwardly into engagement withthe lever. Hook elements 'I2 areprovided with eyes 14 for receiving the straps 42. The other end of each such element is onset at 16 and provided with a T -shaped free end 1l. This free end is adapted to be engaged within the holes 2l and '30 and each such hole is formed with a key slot portion 30 permitting the passage of the T-shaped end of the element.

It will be apparent that our improved ski binding provides relatively simple means for obtain- Ving a low hitch on the ski at 28 as well as a higher hitch at 30, the plate 22 also being economical to manufacture and easy to apply to the ski. 'I'he key holes 28-40 thereinto are adapted to receive therethrough the T-shaped ends 18 of the elements 12 which elements may thereafter be rotated to the position shown in Figs. l and 2 in which position said ends are completely housed within the chambers 26 and cannot be accidentally detached therefrom. The dished portion 32 of the eye 30 also provides for the housing of the hook end 18 flush within the flange Il. It will be understood that the low hitch in the plates 22 tends to hold the heel down on the ski and that the several holes 28 provide for an .adjustment in the amount of downpull on the heel.

The elements I6 and 60 are relatively simple and economical and provide a very strong and substantial connection to the ends of the spring 40. The resilient yoke 10 also engages the lever u in a firm grip" which cannot become accidental- 1y disengaged.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat- `ent of the United States is:

l. In a ski binding, a heel-'engaging coiled spring and a connecting element having a shank portion engaging within an end of the spring element is connected to the other strap 42 and and an eye portion projecting outwardly of the spring, the element comprising a fiat metal strap bent in face to face contact upon itself to provide a shank and said eye at the closed end thereof, ythe shank having teeth formed in the edges thereof for engaging with the coils of the spring. and the two legs of the shank having portions thereof upset outwardly to thicken the shank whereby more firmly to engage the same with the coils oi the spring.

2. A ski hitching plate having fiat surfaces at its inner face in a common plane at the ends of the plate, the inner portion of the plate being bulged outwardly to form an outer convex wall and a chamber therein between said ends of the plate, the plate being adapted to be secured to a ski with said fiat surfaces resting flatly against the dat edge of the ski and having a screw engaging hole through each of said ends and a plurality of hook engaging holes through said convex wall into the chamber in relatively spaced relation along the plate and between said screw engaging holes.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 including two of said hitching plates adapted to be secured respectively to opposite edges of a ski, plus two toe irons adapted to be adjustably secured to the topface of the ski above the hitching plates and having upwardly extending anges with toe strap slots through the forward portions thereof and hook-engaging holes like the first mentioned hook-engaging holes through the rear portions thereof, the flanges being dished outwardly around said holes to form hook-receiving chambers inwardly of the holes.

ODD OVERGAARD. LEIF NABHE. 

